2008 Woodie Awards
From Cubism to fascism
Ann Colwell - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: Arts
Fascist and anarchist movements may seem like topics far from a student's life in Iowa, but they're actually much closer than we think.
Duke University art historians Mark Antliff and Patricia Leighten are set to lecture in 116 Art Building West today and Tuesday on their areas of expertise. Antliff will present "Machine Age Fascism: Philippe Lamour and the New Vision Photography of Germaine Krull" today at 8 p.m. Leighten will speak at 5 p.m. Tuesday on "A 'Rationale of Ugliness': Primitivism, Cubism and Its Audience, 1907-1913."
It's easy to pick up on the passion of Leighten and Antliff when they discuss these subjects. As different as they appear, both of these topics deal with political movements of the early 20th century and societal attitudes. Both touch on our lives more than we think - just look around.
"The new Art Building at Iowa - it is not a modernist building; it's very obviously a postmodernist building," Leighten said in describing what a beautiful building she thinks it is. For those of us who need to brush up on our art history, postmodernism is any modern art after the '60s. "Yet its very clean, clear lines are really rooted in the impact of the Cubist movement."
Leighten described many ways we can see Cubism in Western society - architecture, interior design, clothing, and automobiles.
"Cubism was the most radical and important art movement of the early 20th century," Leighten said, pointing to such artists as Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp as spearheads of that movement. "A number of Cubist artists were very attracted by anarchist philosophy, both in terms of its social criticism and a future vision of a just society. The development of a radical style was trying to create a new consciousness for a new society."
Antliff's lecture also touches on radical movements and schools of thought. His research and lecture explores the ways avant-garde art was assimilated by the fascist movement in the '30s. Fascism considers the individual to be less important than the needs of the state, a political ideology in opposition to democracy.
"I do look around me and see fascistic ways of thinking in the world," he said. "I'm very interested in the issue of how violence and aesthetics were theorized when fascism first emerged in the '20s. It's a challenging issue of breaking down what I'd regard as myths in the history of modern art - the notion that art and fascism were antithetical to each other, and that fascists were utterly hostile to modern art."
While many figures openly embraced modernism, there were some who displayed open hostility to modern art - such as the Nazis, who gathered an exhibition of avant-garde art in 1938, put it on display, and declared it to be rejected as degenerate art.
Antliff emphasized that fascists modeled their movement by trying to appeal to the youth. Philippe Lamour, a French politician and leader of a fascist organization, sought to recruit and appeal to university students.
"We all hope that fascism is something in the past," Antliff said. "Fascist movements still pop up, particularly in Europe, and in some cases become very powerful forces. Fascism has a lost history that needs to be recovered so we can understand its appeal. Reviving knowledge of the past prepares us to be aware of the resurgence of such thinking in the future."
E-mail DI reporter Ann Colwell at:
ann-colwell@uiowa.edu
Want to know more? Check out the lectures or get your hands on one of these books:
• Avant-Garde Fascism: The Mobilization of Myth, Art, and Culture in France, 1909-1939, by Mark Antliff
• Cubism and Culture (World of Art) by Mark Antliff and Patricia Leighten
Lectures
• "Machine Age Fascism: Lamour and the New Vision Photography of Germaine Krull"
When: 8 p.m. today
Where: 116 Art Building West
• "A 'Rationale of Ugliness': Primitivism, Cubism and Its Audience, 1907-1913"
When: 5 p.m. Tuesday
Where: 116 Art Building West
Duke University art historians Mark Antliff and Patricia Leighten are set to lecture in 116 Art Building West today and Tuesday on their areas of expertise. Antliff will present "Machine Age Fascism: Philippe Lamour and the New Vision Photography of Germaine Krull" today at 8 p.m. Leighten will speak at 5 p.m. Tuesday on "A 'Rationale of Ugliness': Primitivism, Cubism and Its Audience, 1907-1913."
It's easy to pick up on the passion of Leighten and Antliff when they discuss these subjects. As different as they appear, both of these topics deal with political movements of the early 20th century and societal attitudes. Both touch on our lives more than we think - just look around.
"The new Art Building at Iowa - it is not a modernist building; it's very obviously a postmodernist building," Leighten said in describing what a beautiful building she thinks it is. For those of us who need to brush up on our art history, postmodernism is any modern art after the '60s. "Yet its very clean, clear lines are really rooted in the impact of the Cubist movement."
Leighten described many ways we can see Cubism in Western society - architecture, interior design, clothing, and automobiles.
"Cubism was the most radical and important art movement of the early 20th century," Leighten said, pointing to such artists as Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp as spearheads of that movement. "A number of Cubist artists were very attracted by anarchist philosophy, both in terms of its social criticism and a future vision of a just society. The development of a radical style was trying to create a new consciousness for a new society."
Antliff's lecture also touches on radical movements and schools of thought. His research and lecture explores the ways avant-garde art was assimilated by the fascist movement in the '30s. Fascism considers the individual to be less important than the needs of the state, a political ideology in opposition to democracy.
"I do look around me and see fascistic ways of thinking in the world," he said. "I'm very interested in the issue of how violence and aesthetics were theorized when fascism first emerged in the '20s. It's a challenging issue of breaking down what I'd regard as myths in the history of modern art - the notion that art and fascism were antithetical to each other, and that fascists were utterly hostile to modern art."
While many figures openly embraced modernism, there were some who displayed open hostility to modern art - such as the Nazis, who gathered an exhibition of avant-garde art in 1938, put it on display, and declared it to be rejected as degenerate art.
Antliff emphasized that fascists modeled their movement by trying to appeal to the youth. Philippe Lamour, a French politician and leader of a fascist organization, sought to recruit and appeal to university students.
"We all hope that fascism is something in the past," Antliff said. "Fascist movements still pop up, particularly in Europe, and in some cases become very powerful forces. Fascism has a lost history that needs to be recovered so we can understand its appeal. Reviving knowledge of the past prepares us to be aware of the resurgence of such thinking in the future."
E-mail DI reporter Ann Colwell at:
ann-colwell@uiowa.edu
Want to know more? Check out the lectures or get your hands on one of these books:
• Avant-Garde Fascism: The Mobilization of Myth, Art, and Culture in France, 1909-1939, by Mark Antliff
• Cubism and Culture (World of Art) by Mark Antliff and Patricia Leighten
Lectures
• "Machine Age Fascism: Lamour and the New Vision Photography of Germaine Krull"
When: 8 p.m. today
Where: 116 Art Building West
• "A 'Rationale of Ugliness': Primitivism, Cubism and Its Audience, 1907-1913"
When: 5 p.m. Tuesday
Where: 116 Art Building West
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jerome Larkin
posted 11/20/08 @ 5:11 AM CST
Cubism, like Pablo Picasso himself, is interested because it is so complex and full of contradictions. Pablo Picasso was a self avowed communist. However, Picasso was also one of the world's wealthiest artists, leaving his heirs an estate valued at $260 million ($1. (Continued…)
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